Is it surprising for you? Most of us have seen copper as utensil, electric wire and machinery part, but can’t think of using them as elements to fight germs. Very rare people know that copper is also a very good antimicrobial element, which can be used in day to day life to benefit our health. It is not just copper, but also its alloys like brass and bronze that are naturally antimicrobial. These metals are quite appropriate to form an item that are often touched or have multiple users.

Since such items tend to attract and spread germs, increasing the chances of contamination, using copper, brass and bronze fixtures is cost-effective as well as an ideal solution for home. The most common uses of metal in household are in kitchen and bathrooms. In kitchen, you can get sink drains and strainers made of brass metal. Similarly in bathrooms, you can replace washbasin and bathtubs with copper version. In addition, you can also get bronze door knobs, brass push plates and bronze cabinet hardware for complete protection from super bugs that too without using any harsh chemical to clean them. While they help in eliminating house germs, they also add value to the home with their natural beauty. They look fabulous when designed artistically.

Copper has many application areas apart from just bathroom and kitchen hardware. Their antimicrobial and antifungal properties have drawn the attention of medical science and now the metal is widely used in mouthwashes, toothpastes and medicines. It is hard to sense its presence in these items as this is used in very little amount. Copper can make your life least vulnerable if used in given ways.

Brass

Over time, you may have noticed that the surface of your brass objects has tarnished and become dull. Tarnish is a natural process that most metals undergo and occurs due to exposure to the elements (mostly sunlight and moisture). If you would like to prevent your brass objects from tarnishing, you have two options – keep it out of the elements of give it a protective coating.

Option 1: Give the outside of your brass objects a regular coating of wax. To begin with, give the object a quick dust and wipe down to remove the old layer of wax. Then, apply the new layer by following the directions on the wax packaging. In most cases, this will need to be done once a week to ensure protection.

Option 2: Cover your brass objects in lacquer for a longer lasting solution. Take a piece of scrap metal and give it a test spray with the lacquer to make sure that it goes on clear. Then, cover the entire surface of your object. You will need to apply three to five coats to ensure protection.

You will only need to coat the exterior of your brass objects, as the inside is not exposed to the elements and, therefore, does not tarnish. To make sure that the interior of your brass objects is kept nice and shiny, however, you should give it a regular dust and wash with soapy water.

Keep in mind that, after coating your objects with either wax or lacquer, they will not feel the same as they did before. Wax, however, does feel fairly similar to uncoated brass so, if you would like to return this feel, you can apply wax over the lacquer to simulate it.

Brass is a wonderful metal for decorative elements, but it has a tendency of tarnishing. The longer it stays open in air, the quicker it gets tarnished. This is exactly why this metal is lacquered, especially when they are in the form of decorative piece. While lacquering is so common in brass, most of the people don’t know about lacquering and there are other sets of brass users who can’t differentiate between lacquered or non- lacquered brass.

For people who don’t know about lacquering, it is a process of adding a coating of lacquer on brass. This prevents air getting to the brass that in turn prevents tarnishing. Some brass decorative item manufacturers use polymer or plastic coating to prevent tarnishing. But any coating doesn’t last forever. Time may come when you will find coated or lacquered brass losing its shine. When it happens, mark it that is an alarming sign that means the coating is worn off and air is passing to the metal. If that happens, you would need to strip the metal, clean them and reapply the coating. Or else, if you do not want the coating anymore, keep it as it is and perform periodic cleaning.

Even if you get the metal item coated, you will have to clean them time to time. Remember, lacquer protects the metal from tarnishing, not dirt. To make them look as beautiful as ever, wipe the item with dry soft cotton cloth. If necessary you can use mild or diluted utensil cleaner to remove sticky dirt that are tough to remove when dry. Being little informed about brass lacquering can keep your decorative items shining and beautiful forever.

Many people wrongly assume that the same tools used to work iron can be used to work aluminium. As it is a much softer metal, however, it is important that you use tools that will take this into account. Fortunately, many of the tools used for woodworking can be used on this metal.

• Saws
  Hand-held or hacksaws can be used on aluminium, providing that you have chosen the right kind of blade. They need to have wide-mouthed teeth and must be made out of carbide to ensure precise cuts.
• Center Punch
  This is a sharp rod made out of iron that is used for making marks on metal. On aluminium, it is used to etch cutting edges and to mark the position of holes.
  
  
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  Drills
  Hand-held drills are highly useful for working with aluminium, providing that you use a drill bit with wide spirals (to prevent the metal from clogging the bit).
• Mallets
  You cannot use a hammer on aluminium, as it will create dents. Instead, use a wooden mallet. They can be used for shaping a sheet, fixing it in place or even for hammering in rivets.
• Screwdrivers
  You don’t need special screwdrivers for working with aluminium - your standard ones will be fine, providing that they fit into screws that are Phillips O, Phillips Square, Phillips O Hex, Cheese or Rounded head.
  
  

Once you have finished working your aluminium, there will also be a wide range of buffing and polishing tools available to you to ensure that the shine of the metal is brought back. The tools outlined above, however, are likely to be on hand for most homeowners.